Please help! Does anyone know what could be wrong ?

SuperSonicMare

SuperSonicMare

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I am just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem to the one my mare has developed. (Long story - sorry!)

Sunday afternoon my mare was left alone in the field for about an hour while her companion was being ridden, she shouted and walked the fence a bit which is all usual but then she started galloping around the field like a mad thing which is not usual! She had been moved to a different field the day before so I just put it down to that. I called to her & she calmed down. When I put the pony back I caught her to bring her in for the night (she is coming in to keep a box resting horse company over night & Saturday night was her first night in) and she was shaking her head violently. I thought perhaps she had a fly in her ear, so felt inside both ears & gave them a rub in case of itching. She calmed down a little and I led her in and put her away. Then her behaviour became very odd. She alternated between shaking her head & lowering it almost to the ground & snorting - not sniffing. She also kept resting her nose against the partition. This makes me think the problem is nasal rather than her ears. She ate her tea & had eaten almost all her haylage by morning & had drunk a usual amount for her when in.

Today she has been very drippy & cuddly and seems to be saying "mum, fix me please". I feel very sorry for her :( she was also lowering her head & resting it on my lower leg & staying like that for some time.

I got the vet out, all normal checks temp, HR, stomach sounds, lungs etc normal. She displayed the same behaviour in front of the vet, though the head shaking is less violent today. Also checked teeth, mouth, eyes, hearing, vet looked up nasal cavities & in ears again all normal. No abnormal discharge (often has slight clear discharge & I've had her 3yrs). She also kept looking at her right side, or turning her head right anyway, so vet checked neck & back & stomach. There was a small possibility she could have been pregnant so she was even palped (and thank god, she isnt!!).

Vet flumoxed! Gave her an anti inflammitory injection & said will recheck at the end of the week if she's no better, if she gets worse or is no better may have to go down scan or xray route.

Thank you for reading, sorry it was so long!

Anyone have any ideas? Any suggestions welcome :)
 
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Could there be something in the new field that she's allergic too? Might be causing hayfever tpye symptoms which often present as headshaking.
Thats all i can think of really! Sorry im not more help!
 
were you watching her all the time she was going mad in the field? if not, she might have run into something, or flipped over, and concussed herself.
otherwise... ummm.... I'm stumped, but I'll keep thinking. I'd keep her in and as quiet as possible for a few days if she were mine.
 
Thanks, I wondered that but the vet felt it was unlikely due to the time of year! She does eat hedges though so there could be something still with pollen in there! It's the same yard just the other side of the lane so I dont know if there'd be much in there thats not in my field?
 
No I wasnt watching the whole time, but I heard her thundering round & looked over to see her tearing round. When I called to her she stopped. It's possible though, I really hope thats not it though! Poor girlie!! She seems bright enough, its weird now - kind of like a horse I had before that summer "headshook" like a snatching of the head if you know what I mean! It's the hanging the head to the ground that really worries me! It's very strange :S
 
Hmmm, there is "normal" ivy on the outside of the stable walls (we've removed all within reach of greedy horses!) but no visible flowers?? Could that be it? Or could she be allergic to a type of haylage? Is that possible?
 
Horses like us can be allergic to anything! And I mean anything! We had one that was allergic to grass!! Work that one out if you can!! :p
Is there anything else that has changed? feed? hay? etc
 
The lowering of the head to the ground and snorting is a sign of headshaking as they feel that something is stuck up there nose as this is what my horse does especially when hes working
 
Thanks everyone. Feed hasnt changed but she was out 24/7 before so the haylage is new. Allergic to grass! That must've been a nightmare!! If she's not right in a day or two I may put her on anti hystamines (sp?) both our ponies had them in summer, one for pollen allergy & one for sweet itch. Cured pollen pony & def helped the other!
 
Welshied what do you do? Do you have a supplement or regime or anything that helps? My girl is off work atm due to a cut on her fetlock, but I've had her three yrs & she's never showed sypmtoms like this before - but that is exactly what it seems like to me, I thought she actually did have something up her nose!!
 
well mine only really gets affected when ridden but hes on the verge of been unrideable you could possibly try her on some antihistamines , mine also trys to rub his nose on the ground or will turn and rub it on your boot when riding and that is all for the same reasons
 
kerilli said:
were you watching her all the time she was going mad in the field? if not, she might have run into something, or flipped over, and concussed herself.
otherwise... ummm.... I'm stumped, but I'll keep thinking. I'd keep her in and as quiet as possible for a few days if she were mine.
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I agree with this - sounds like she could have an almighty headache from colliding with something hard.

I'd give her time and if she isn't very poorly ie still eating and drinking then I would leave it for a few days and see what happens - keep us updated please.... and good luck..
 
Thanks. I really hope its not that though! There's only hedges around the edge of the field & then it spilt into serparate paddocks by electric fencing - no post & rail or anything though. She's got no wounds, heat swelling etc anywhere - wouldnt there be external signs had this happened? I'm a bit scared now! But yes she's still eating, drinking, bossing the pony round etc!!
 
not necessarily. I suspect it's either that or maybe an allergy (or poisoning) of some kind.
I'd definitely keep her quiet (maybe even in a darkened stable if possible, just in case) with lots of hay (soaked if she was mine) and nothing else other than t.l.c. for a few days.
Hope she improves rapidly and gets back to normal.
 
Thanks Kerrili. I will update in a few days to let you know how she goes.

I suppose she could have been stung up her nose KrujaaLass!! Poor girlie if she has! How horrid, can you imagine?!
 
That is good news, but did you get any answers as to what the problem might have been. I only read your post for the first time tonight and the symptons reminded me of a friends horses reaction to being kicked in the head - someone suggested a knock or fall. He had his head amost on the floor, but was perhaps a bit more 'out of it' than your mare.

At least she's made a good recovery.

JDx
 
Thanks. She couldnt have been kicked as she was in the field alone (& her companion who'd been removed is a 19yr old 12.1hh welshie that knows who's boss!!) & unless she fell over on the actual grass I really cant see what she could have banged into?? But no, I still have no idea what caused it. She didnt seem concussed - if you went to her she acted almost normally (little bit of head snatching) and still looked for treats, ate all her tea etc. I am leaning towards a seed of something being stuck in her nose which she probably snorted out, but perhaps it had scratched or something?? Or maybe a sting. I am watching her like a hawk but fingers crossed whatever it was has gone forever! (She's also been left alone in the field since with no galloping, so I am sure the galloping was caused by whatever was upsetting her not the cause of it - if that makes sense!) x
 
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